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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23340913">Dolce vita</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekuroiookami/pseuds/thekuroiookami'>thekuroiookami</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward Romance, Drabble, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, One Shot, Post-Canon, Tsunderes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:08:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,010</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23340913</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekuroiookami/pseuds/thekuroiookami</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Felix finds himself thinking unexpected thoughts about an unexpected person.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dorothea Arnault/Felix Hugo Fraldarius</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dolce vita</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluxfiction/gifts">naiishu (fluxfiction)</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dorothea was singing again. She stood by the balcony, one hand on the balustrade and the other over her heart, her voice carrying into the cool evening air. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Felix watched her from the doorway and wondered whether to join her. On the one hand, he supposed it was at least nominally necessary to thank her for inviting him to the opera. It had been...a diverting evening. On the other, she’d probably talk a nine to a dozen on seeing him, make some remarks he didn’t completely understand, and even worse, stop singing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> what Felix had been thinking, but before he realized it, his feet had taken him to her. He leaned back against the railing, folding his arms. Nothing to do now but make the best of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dorothea glanced at him, her lips curving up, but she didn’t stop singing. The melody kept going up and up, soaring higher like an eagle. He closed his eyes to listen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was kind of beautiful, he admitted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last note trailed out softly, and the song dispersed like foam on the seashore. He tilted his head, trying to keep the lingering memory of the sound with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enjoying yourself?” Dorothea’s voice, as always, sounded amused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Felix opened his eyes and looked at her. She gave him her familiar, flirtatious grin. Her mouth was tinted a deep rose in the sunset. “You sing well,” he told her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My goodness, it must have hurt you to give that compliment. Felix, I don’t sing </span>
  <em>
    <span>well.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I sing magnificently.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He furrowed his brow at her. What was the difference? But she didn’t seem offended - in fact, she was smiling even wider. Dorothea was always like that - her words always said different things than her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He cleared his throat. “I...came to thank you for inviting me to the performance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dorothea winked at him, eyes luminous. “Anytime.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then there was clearly nothing to say, so he nodded and looked away. They stood in a moment of silence. Felix rubbed the toe of his boot on the marble floor, reluctant to leave and reluctant to stay. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’d gone out to dinner with Dorothea after her show, which hadn’t been the verbal torture he was expecting. She had laughingly called it a date and nudged him playfully, but Felix hadn’t registered what that meant until later. Was it enough of a reason for him to keep standing here?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Manuela was the one who got me into the opera, you know,” she said, breaking into his thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was unexpected. He hadn’t thought there might be a stronger reason for Dorothea becoming a tail-wagging puppy around the older woman. But what he said was, “Is there a reason I should know this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah yes, I forgot. You don’t like conversation.” She sighed and propped her chin on her hand. “You’re so boring, Felix. After that dinner where you were almost civil, I really had hopes for us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He blinked. “What hopes?” She had thoughts about him? Why could he suddenly hear his heart?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, hopes.” She reached out and laid a hand on his arm. “You, me, some good wine and a friendly heart-to-heart. Is that too much to ask for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Felix huffed, his ears feeling slightly warm. “You are annoyingly persistent.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine then. Let’s just stand here awkwardly.” She swept her hair over her shoulder in an impatient movement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The movement set the linked chains on her dress to tinkling, and his eyes automatically dropped to the source of the sound. A big mistake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Felix had never noticed how low-cut her dress was before. She was all creamy skin and generous curves, impossibly soft-looking. Her impractical corset curved with the slant of her spine, the shadows of the waning light throwing enticing shadows over the dip of her back. Unbidden, his mind followed the path of his gaze, imagining how it would be to be to trail his fingertips up from the deep vee of her dress all the way to that tempting bow between her shoulders…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your dress,” he said, his voice coming out gruffer than he intended.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yes, pick on my clothes next,” she snapped. “Is it too gaudy? Too unsuited to battle? Let me tell you Felix, my attire is-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t you cold?” He pressed his hand lightly to the edge of the corset. “How do you wear this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dorothea’s mouth parted in surprise, speechless for once. “I- what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shifted to face her properly, frowning. “You shouldn’t be wearing such things in this weather. Here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Felix undid his cape and dropped it on her shoulders. She blinked, her eyes glowing in the dim light. He suddenly realized they were close, so close that if he leaned in-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stay still, Felix,” Dorothea whispered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before he could ask why, she rose on her toes and pressed her lips to his. Felix’s mind went white with amazement. He stumbled slightly, taking her with him. His hand immediately went to her back to steady her. But that was a bigger mistake than looking at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her skin was so much softer than anything he could have imagined, like newly-made satin. Her mouth was equally velvety, faintly tasting of some berry tea he couldn’t place. Overwhelmed, but not wanting to stop, Felix tilted his head to taste her better. His fingertips glided lightly over her back, exploring the texture of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Dorothea gasped quietly, pressing closer to him, and Felix was struck by the revelation that her voice was equally alluring like this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pulled back and gazed at him, face flushed. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You taste sweet,” was the only thing he could find to say. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes widened. “Oh.” She made to step away. “I’m sorry-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Felix tightened his arm to bring her warmth back to him. “I don’t mind if it’s you,” he murmured. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time he dipped his head and kissed her slowly to savour the feeling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was breathless and even rosier when he finally lifted his head. Huh. She was right after all. Magnificent.</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My friends played this game and I lived vicariously through them so here's me producing content I know nothing about. <br/>I just ship these two so hard. Is it just me that thinks Dorothea's back is super seductive?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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